Leaderboard

Gig last night was a little two hour, two set, Thursday night soiree. Everything went ok and it was free from any technical or equipment issues. The pair of G4M 1x12 powered pa speakers bought used for less than a ton nearly a year ago as a stop gap when our previous singer left with his EV’s continue to provide sterling service, and have more than paid for themselves. They aren’t hugely powerful but 1x12 + horn seems an ideal configuration for pub gigs. It’s only vocal, saxophone, and kick going through them. First time out for my new LFSYS Silverstone II cab, and also first gig with my newly restored Trace Elliot SMX head. Both worked perfectly and the clarity and sound quality were quite astonishing. I used my Sadowsky M/J for this gig. If there was anything to be noted for after gig discussions, it was that the second set started to get a bit jazzy rather than blues and perhaps a bit louder than was necessary. Both the guitarist and drummer were suffering from “The Guiness Effect” by then.🤔 Venue was Baker Street in Stirling, not the most spacious of venues. The band name seems to be sticking now as Blues Delux( for the last three gigs). Must admit I prefer the Sunday afternoon shows at this venue rather than late week nights. It also rained tonight, and the venue was late advertising the show. So it wasn’t a big crowd we played to, but they seemed to enjoy it. Everyone was happy, the band all enjoyed themselves, and we got paid to boot. I’ll take that any day. I believe there was video footage but it's not available yet. That maybe a good thing😊

Played a set at a bluegrass festival last night as a trio of guitar, mandolin and DB and we all sing. We have done this before and it went well but the leader and main vocalist was not feeling well and it showed with sloppy intros and endings and some other slip ups that are not normal for us. On Saturday and Sunday we play two more sets but with the full 5 piece band and by that time we are hoping the leader has recovered. Not our finest set but that's just the way it goes sometimes.🙄

Been curious about these since they were released a few years ago, as I much prefer the RG style to the Soundgear range, and a fretted 5 was a hole in my collection. When I spotted this I had to take a punt. It's black, it's got a pointy headstock and sharkfin inlays, and it cost less than a Squier. What more do you need. It plays nicely, although we'll see how low the action can go, and sounds fine (although first impression is that the preamp does SFA). Neck's not as flat as I'd expected/hoped for based on the reputation of their guitar necks. The headstock also survived me immediately twatting it into the attic roof as I was unpacking it unscathed🙄 Good for metal innit. Although the skull volume knob might be a step too far.

I put this massive board together out of all of the bits I actually use during an average rehearsal. Covers everything I need. I've got it set up so in A/B mode it swaps between a slightly driven SVT and a very distorted SVT. Then for stomp box mode I've got it loaded with a Darkglass Microtubes capture and a Sansamp Bass Driver capture, and I'll test those two captures out and go with whatever I prefer on the day. My setup doesn't need to be any more complex than that.

I'm just chuffed for my friend Christian Madden who's playing keys. I've known him for nearly 30 years and we've done countless gigs together in numerous guises, from when he was just a lad. He's the most down to earth and honest Lancashire bloke you would ever wish to meet. I'm very proud of him tonight. Rob

That'll be me then.

You're certainly not going to show the kids "this is what you can sound like if you're any good," that's for sure.

Intrigued to see how this is going to go to be honest... We need more bands like this to show the young kids that playing instruments is 'cool'

Sometimes its hard when someone isnt well but at least you still did the gig rather than cancel. We played a very busy venue once where our female singer was so unwell she had to leave stage to vomit in the band toilet next to stage area. She carried on until the end and we sent her home right away. We could have played the gig with just the one singer but she insisted she wanted to play it as its her local rock venue. Fortunately the audience were aware she wasn't well and were very appreciative that the band continued as normal. Its not an easy decision to cancel a gig so for me i think maybe a little praise for your singer that they didn't cancel and take it as a positive rather than a negative. Dave

I wonder if "Drum Off" was supposed to be an instruction to FOH when Metallica start up?

It strange isn't it. I've had a lot of the boutique stuff (Shuker, Alembic, etc) and I find that while they're all beautifully made they're complex to coax out a great sound, ofter over-engineered and, well, a bit ugly. The more gigs I play and the more varied music I'm asked to work on, I value the simplicity and quality of the American Fenders I've had.

Almost an all new gig setup for me at the moment with the exception of the Sadowsky M/J which I've ben using a lot in recent times and done a few gigs with now. First outing this week with a new LFSYS Silverstone II, and my fully restored 1994 Trace Elliot AH250 GP12 SMX. Lots of clarity, exceptional low end performance, and excellent sound quality so far from this combination. I've also stopped using my trusty LMB3 for now, and I'm relying completely on the dual band compressor on the amp.

They've surely exhausted pillaging the complete canon of Messrs Lennon and McCartney by now?

The evidence supports that, absolutely. Pino, Lee Sklar, Will Lee, Charlie Haden, Steve Swallow, even Marcus. All these guys have massive CVs whereas the Jeff Berlins, Hadrien Fraud, Michael Manrings etc crowd are much more limited in their catalogues. Who gets the Steely Dan gigs etc? Always the solid guys.

20250628_195601.mp4 I finished work late on Saturday afternoon about 5:30, saw the Maiden fans heading for Canary Wharf tube. Stopped for a quick beer before heading home and decided to see if I could get a ticket. An hour and half later and I'm in the stadium with a front standing ticket...

It’s all relative of course, but I don’t see Oasis inspiring that many kids nowadays. It’s going to be filled with middle aged men like me.

Successful bands are popular because many people think they are good at what they do. If enough people think you are good then you are. QED As for Oasis, their songs are very popular with audiences and are easy to learn, so I love them.

Definitely, no maybes about it (see what I did there?) Whilst they may not be the most accomplished musicians they have a cool factor, if that inspires kids to start picking up guitars etc only a good thing imo.

Honestly, I don't think it really matters how 'good' they are, they were playing guitars on huge stages, TV shows etc... Something for people to aspire to, it really does help sell gear. Can you imagine how many Epiphones, Gibsons and various amp brands Noel Gallagher has helped sell over the years.

I frequently trawl various 'instrument for sale' sites when I've got nothing better to do of an evening once the boy is in bed and after the wife and I have had some dinner... 8pm to 9pm is my prime hour! I stumbled across a Conklin GTBD-7 on eBay yesterday, not too many of these were made, they were meant to be a cheaper, more accessible version of the USA Custom Shop Conklins, however they were very expensive to make and the quality was exceptionally good, not too far off that of the USA Custom Shop basses, so they stopped production after maybe a year or so. They did the GT-7 (the cheaper version) and this GTBD-7 versions with Bartolini pickups and preamp as well as a premium top and through neck. I've owned a couple of these over the years as well as two USA Custom Shop Conklins (one I still have and I will die with), so I'm very familiar with them vs the USA stock and they are really great basses. I made an offer on this one, we had a quick chat about logistics, and the offer was accepted! Should be with me Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. Comes with a spare set of strings and a hardcase too. 👍 Damn you eBay for FORCING me to buy this! 😆

Evaluating (or designing) a speaker cab by measuring it is infinitely more complex than micing up a cab for recording or sound reinforcement. You need a calibrated mic for a start. There's a whole battery of measurements you need to carry out using specialist software. Done properly, however, you can form a reasonably accurate idea of how a speaker will perform (although your ears will always be the final arbiter). To measure a loudspeaker, you need to place the mic in what is termed the "far field" - or between 4 and 6 feet for the Monaco or similar cab. Any closer than this and the two drivers are not fully integrated. I've found measuring on the tweeter axis to be the most useful position. To remove the impact of the room in the absence of an anechoic chamber, the test tones from the speaker have to be "gated" in software. Unfortunately, this useful technique doesn't allow measurement at low frequencies. So, the low frequency response has to be checked separately using either near-field or ground plane measurements. The two measurements are then adjusted for level and spliced together to create a full-range response. If you're a stickler, you also measure and splice the response of the port. This gives you the frequency response on axis, and you've only just started.😀

Back from 2 days 'business' in Cologne to find the Conklin patient waiting for me upon my return! I forgot just how well made these things are... unbelievably thin neck profile, no real visible or 'feelable' difference in build quality to that of my USA Conklin (hardware, pickups, preamp, woods etc aside...)

If you 'try' something in a shop the item is still on the retailer's premises. I'm not aware of many instances where a physical shop would allow someone to take the item home, without paying for it, to sort of test it out.

If it’s online rather than bricks and mortar it may well just be located in a distribution centre staffed by by 3rd party employees who have nothing to do with the online store. Their job is to take stuff off shelves and get it on vans for delivery. Online sales are cheaper for a reason. If you want the personal touch buy in store, preferably from an independent retailer.

'In stock' does not mean 'to hand', I suppose. If they had to open up the packaging of a new bag, and it didn't fit as you would like, it's no longer 'new' for another customer. If you'd gone to the shop, they may not let you try your test on new gear, either, for the same reason. Unreasonable..? A bit 'limit', I'd say, but not so unusual.

This is quite interesting: https://youtu.be/iE-6N_sy0CY?si=oEfvg4fBIgWuetCY

Not flashed off my pair of Lionels together. The blue one I added a clear scratchplate so you can see more of that gorgeous finish and an EMG Geezer Butler, I found the stock a bit sterile and was lacking something, the GZR is spot on, so much so that I took the 2 band active out of the cream Larry and put an Ivory GRZ It just wasn’t sitting the mix and felt a bit lost but the EMG punches thru nicely. The third knob is just a dummy … I’ve got an EBMM Stingray Short Scale in Starry Night, it looks the nutz but just doesn’t beat the Lionel Bergs!!

Mastering is applied to the final stereo (or mono) mix. It involves EQ, compression - usually multi-band - and for vinyl collapsing any stereo imaging of low frequencies into mono. All the changes are global and any apparent change to the mix will be the result of the EQ and multi-band compression. Generally a separate master is required for each delivery medium - vinyl, Compact Cassette, CD/Uncompressed Digital, Compressed Digital in order to play to the strengths of each, and in the case of vinyl make sure the audio capable of being cut. Anything involving the use of the original multi-track recording or "stems" should be labelled as a remix.

When was the last time Fender brought out something where there weren't established market leaders in place already? What useful innovations have they pushed since Mr Fender sold out in the 60's? The Dimension tried to enter a space created by Musicman and G&L 30-odd years previously. Who was that bass aimed at, who was the target market? It came across as a half-assed effort at entering the humbucker game, just flung out there in the hope that they could poach some stragglers from leading brands in that market. It seems like everything they "innovate" has already been done better elsewhere. How is it possible they don't lead the Jazz-on-steroids market? How have they never managed to develop (or even buy or licence) a class-leading pre-amp and mate it with their instruments? Having that big F on the headstock is not enough to just plop something onto the market and not think strategically through design, production and marketing thoroughly before making the half-assed effort which has become their trademark, sadly. They got lazy on the legacy of that name. I'd be of the opinion that everything they offer is made better (and usually cheaper) by someone else. Then people say "Oh nobody wants Fender to do anything different" when it's more that everything different they do has already been done better elsewhere. But folks love having that big F on the headstock all the same, no matter what. It's always gas seeing home assembled parts builds and custom relic jobs getting that brand-name stuck on them 😂

From my experience as a music lecturer. It’s the events this weekend in Birmingham that most young musicians will be watching. Oasis don't seem to figure highly in my students’ musical influences.

One small mercy. At least there's no talk of a new album.

FTFY

Depends on how acutely you listen, I suppose. (Unless you have those ears that say 'a bass is a bass'.) I could even tell you which of my three Americans is which while blindfolded - they all have unique voicings. The nitro finished American Original has it's own free-sounding singing tone from the finish and the Pure Voiced 64 pickups. The open pore Ash FSR has a very different punchier bottom end from the 2008 Am.Std pickups. The American Elite has more sparkle at the top end and a distinct active shove to the bass frequencies.

Absolutely! All my mates who worked in music shops loved Oasis first time around. They said that suddenly a new generation of 13 year old kids started coming into the shop, wanting to buy a guitar and to learn to play Rock 'n' Roll Star and Cigarettes and Alcohol...

Told you I wasn't digging the black tuners... So, that's it all in matching chrome RE: hardware. Took the opportunity to give the fretboard a drink of lemon oil and restrung with a fresh set of D'addario XL nickel rounds. Think I'm done here.

Christ, it's never easy is it. Ive now ordered another Nux. I had a rehearsal with the BDDI and I love the tone, but I have a few gigs coming up where I'll be using an Ampeg. Can't see the point of using the BDDI, but I do want a bit more drive on some songs. There is no way to add this with the BDDI without the blend being up, and I feel things could start getting messy. The Nux can be used just as a drive and without colouring the sound. For now this will work better. Im keeping the BDDI though

No, as a professional musician, I'm telling you that my American Jazzes feel and sound superior. This is not to say that the Squier 40th isn't a very good Jazz. It definitely is.

I like the individual sounds of my Fenders, if I'm honest. They all have their own individual sound characters. All instrument makers have had to deal with increased costs in parts and labour in recent years, and Americans (and Mexicans) want financial security, houses, cars and pensions (same as us here in the UK!), so everything gets more expensive. Food, cars, houses, etc have all doubled in price in recent years. Unfortunately, musicians' earnings seem to be ignored when it comes to said increases, so instruments seem to get ridiculously pricey to us. I recently bought and set up a Squier 40th Anniversary Jazz for a pupil. Yes, it's a great sounding & playing bass, but a good American Fender bass still sounds and feels superior. But yes, that difference is definitely getting smaller while the price differential gets ever larger.

Hi @brickers I've used DR low riders and Fat Beams, but not high beams, so can't make a direct comparison. Compared to those I'd say the dragon skin plus last longer but not dramatically so, like elixirs do. I much prefer the feel over elixirs though - but I guess that's an entirely personal thing.

I have an AVII, a Mexican Flea Jazz and a Japanese Performer. I also have three Squiers. They are all great instruments. I didn't buy the bad ones. Support your local music shops so you can try before you buy.

I had an active deluxe precision special in seafoam green from around 2011, which was rumoured to have come from the factory with a Geddy Lee neck as production had just moved to Mexico. The preamp stopped working so I changed all of it for EMGs and a BTS system which began my love of EMGs and how easy they were to install

As a covers band player with a Zoom B3 multipedal this is the only pedal I've been tempted to buy, very tempted. In the USA its $270, that's about £198 at today's exchange rate - but £289 everywhere in the UK. That's a big mark up in MRP. That Ian Allison promo video is exceptional - he's unique! Very talented, direct and likeable.

Point of order. if you want a bass that sounds how it did when it left the factory, you seriously want a 2025 modrl not a 1966 one...